In, I believe it is the Voluspo, it is said the Freya receives the first half of the chosen, but I have not seen any reference as to why as they are not mentioned in the same text or anywhere else, where they take part in Ragnarok. Please speculate as to why there would there be a need for a Second Host of Warriors, presumably the very best of the best.

Wassail!

Tue Mar 17, 2009 4:44 pm

Oreynn

Joined: Wed Feb 27, 2008 3:28 amPosts: 51

I may be wrong on this, but aren't Odin's half of the slain to assist him in fighting the Fenris wolf. So Frejya's chosen would fight the other forces arrayed against the gods and godesses. I am by no means as well versed in the lore as most of the others here probably are so i could very easily be wrong. Just thought id add my opinion. I will also try to post more in the future it has been quite some time since i have had the time to post though i try to read some of the threads each day if i am able.

Tue Mar 17, 2009 6:59 pm

beowulf_firestorm

Oreynn,
This my friend is why I have posed this question, because I have never found anywhere in the lore where it discusses what the Host of Freya actually does. I am hoping that the scholarly among us may be able to shed some light on this for me. :)

First I’ll share what we know from lore and then I’ll throw my personal 2 Pfennig into the mix.

1. The deceased discussed in this matter are only warriors on the battlefield. Those taken at sea, dying a straw death, usw represent unrelated issues.

2. Walburga Frouwa takes the first half of the slain warriors leaving the leftovers for Wodan. No surviving texts specifically tell us where Walburga Frouwa takes the slain or what she does with them. We are told, however, that Wodan’s slain, known as the Einheri, train in Walhalla so that they might help Wodan protect Ensigart from the coming onslaught at Godotuom (MoHG Götterdammerung, ON RagnarøkR).

Most people today assume (and not without reason) that the slain are taken to her hall, Folcwise (ON FólkvangR; MoHG Volkwiese—all meaning “folk meadow”) as this has been named her hall. However, this may be misleading. Consider, for example, that Wodan’s hall is Walafirst; but his chosen remain in Walhalla. Theoretically at least, the name of Walburga Frouwa’s “hall of the slain” may have been lost.

Wed Mar 18, 2009 7:48 pm

Irmin

Joined: Sat Jun 07, 2008 10:54 pmPosts: 265Location: New England

Now for my personal thoughts…

I tend to put together two different aspects of our myths that are often ignored even though everyone knows their existence.
1. Walburga Frouwa is the queen of the Îdisi. Most people think of the Îdisi as ancestors from our maternal lines who act more-or-less like guardian angels (Spiritism), Orishas (Santería), Lwa (Voudon) or any other “personal deities” from other religious traditions. This is not necessarily false. BUT we also find that in reading our surviving lore that the terms Îdisi, Walchuria, and Wurtâ (OE Ides, Wælcyrie & Wyrdæ; ON dísir, valkyriur & nornir) were all used more-or-less interchangeably. This is also corroborated by Roman sources who referred to the reverence the northern tribes offered to “Matres” (mothers) and “Matrones” (matrons) in the aforementioned contexts. This, of course, greatly colours our conception of the role these ladies play. Furthermore her brother, Frô, is the landlord of the Alpâ—deified male ancestors who share a similar influence on individuals, households, and in nature.
2. We are told in the Eddiac verses that Walburga Frouwa, although of Wanic birthright, came to live in Ensigart. However, we are also informed via loose references that she maintained close ties with all the Wanâ. In addition the Wanâ and the Alpâ have remained closely associated at least since the war between the gods. Wanâheim sits to the east, nestled between Ensigart and Rîsiheim. Alpâ do reside there, though, as demonstrated by the Alp farmer who wards Donar’s goats whenever the Thunderer crosses River Elivigar into Rîsiheim.

Putting all this together here’s the inference to which I arrive:
The Einheri, being the lesser force, are given to Wodan’s command for one simple purpose: to defend Ensigart. They are the last line of defence before the Rîsi reach the forces of order. For them to accomplish this they must not only go through the Einheri, but through the residents of Wanaheim before that. It follows, then, that Walburga Frouwa’s chosen would be somewhere (Folcwise?) training to defend Wanâheim. Perhaps this is why Walburga Frouwa gets to choose first: because her chosen manifest the first line of defence!

This might also say a thing or two about why the Îdisi are qualified to provide their descendants with as much wisdom as they do…

Does it actually say anywhere that Odin's half are inferior? Yes, Freya "chooses" first, but who is to say they are not looking for different things in the people they chose? Remember that Odin and Freya are fundamentally different characters, and while some virtues are universally valued, other, minor attributes may be sought by either party.

Thank you defiant. That is exactly what I was getting at. I have been going through various threads that intrigued me, and while reading this one I was disturbed because it was quite clearly stated that Odin's chosen were inferior the Freya's. OB your theory concerning childbirth is an interesting one. I would like to present one of my own. To my knowledge, the Einherjar consisted of men only. Shield maidens were not uncommon in many sagas, and Tacitus also speaks of women going to battle in one form or another in his 'Germania.' Where do all the Valkyries/Shield maidens of Valhalla come from? I doubt all of them were Valkyries from the start. Perhaps women who died in battle were Freya's, and became the shield maidens of the chosen army. In either case though, I just wanted it clear that Odin's half were not inferior. Like I said earlier, and like Defiant also elaborated on, Freya is a Vanir, and also has different concerns than Odin, an Aesir. His overriding responsibility is to Ragnarok, whereas Freya has played a number of roles, and to me does not seem bound to any purpose more so than another.

Freyja's field of Fólkvangr has been connected to the Valkyries and Freyja has been named a War Goddess. Since it appears she survives the Ragnarok and she is known to choose her suitors and her sexual partners, it is possible she chooses first because the best breeders are chosen from the dead to go forth to re-populate the Earth after the final battle. Snorri has suggested that "she alone of the gods lived," which would mean she is the only survivor. It would, then, make sense that she would be the one to keep safe those who would rebuild the human world.

I know that even after christianity "conquered" our lore, they took a rather insistent interest in Freyja and worshipped her openly and in secret. Her name of "Lady" and references to her being called "The Lady" are interestingly similar to the stature christians place upon the Mary the Virgin Mother of Jesus. All through my time in catholic school, I quite frequently heard Mary referred to as "The Lady."

It was suggested that Freyja would still be worshipped even after the fall of the other gods, so I think this is very much what has happened with the christian lore of Mary. The Vatican is well-known for its secretive pagan practices, and it is only catholicism which acknowledges Mary in such high esteem. I believe Mary is Freyja and she has watched over the growth of humans because it was her chosen that recreated human life.

I do realize the lore of Ragnarok says there will only be two human survivors, Líf and Lífthrasir, but I still think there is something to the "coincidences" of Freyja's rule over love and sexuality and who is chosen to reside in her hall by she and the Valkyries.

Why are we curious about this? Is it because we want to seek qualities that will suit us for one or the other? The gods are free and our vanity may result in rejection for seeking outward answers to inner questions. I don't care about who chooses me or why. I care about the moment and what I choose in that mindful state. If none of the gods want me I'll still fight. If they try to stop me I'll fight them. If I die I'll rise and fight. This is what makes us different. This is the ancient wisdom. Other gods ask their people to kneel and hope they are chosen. We are invited to stand and make a choice. Do you have fire in you?

We should never discount any aspect of our lore, Greenrose. Who is chosen is not for us to decide and we cannot even be sure it will be for any particular trait. Learning is essential to whatever path you choose. Ignorance by choice is never an honorable thing. We must always be willing to learn, even if it isn't our favorite subject and even if the answers revealed are not to our liking.

This is a very interesting topic that I think could be restarted here ... The original question posed by beowulf_firestorm was

Quote:

... it is said the Freya receives the first half of the chosen, but I have not seen any reference as to why as they are not mentioned in the same text or anywhere else, where they take part in Ragnarok. Please speculate as to why there would there be a need for a Second Host of Warriors, presumably the very best of the best.

I have enjoyed reading the various comments in relation to this thus far, and I look forward to hearing what you think now ... Storm